BEFORE WATCHMEN: DR. MANHATTAN #1

Big, blue, cock from start to finish. DR. MANHATTAN is just panel upon panel of iridescent Smurf lighthouse that climaxes with a Hiroshima level money shot that leaves the Crimson Corsair impregnated and Silk Spectre miffed.

That’s how the F-BEFORE WATCHMEN contingent would like this review to read, but it couldn’t be farther from the truth. What DR. MANHATTAN actually delivers is the cleverest most mind-bending prequel to date. A prequel that hurls the linear nature of its sister titles out the window harder than the COMEDIAN was twenty five years ago, and truly captures the solitude of omnipotence.

DR. MANHATTAN isn’t trying to tell a prequel, it’s really an explanation of what happens when God gets bored. When each second is a literal infinity and mortality is a forgotten concept, how does one fill each moment when moments no longer matter? To illustrate this point of DR. MANHATTAN’S indifference to time, JMS brilliantly opens the book with the concept of Schrodinger’s Cat.

For those that don’t know the infamous cat that was alive and yet dead, trying to explain it usually takes up the first three weeks of philosophy 101 in college. Let me give it a shot though: Basically, shit doesn’t happen until we see it. Before that, anything is possible. Schrodinger used a cat that could be dead or alive in a box to illustrate this point (Fun fact: Schrodinger actually means animal necrophilia in German). Until you open the box and actually see the cat, it lives in both states – alive and dead. Your perception Kimosabe, IS reality.

Mere mortals can only know what happens after the box is opened. We can’t ride the time stream like Waverider and open the box multiple times. Even if we could, each time we go back we are changing the experiment. DR. MANHATTAN can not only go back and open the box multiple times; he can step outside our limited three dimensions to see through the box, peering into the infinity of possibilities all at once.

Basically DR. MANHATTAN’S prequel is every possible prequel that could be. This book dances back and forth through time, not constrained by having to start the story with the plethora of childhood psychological damage that seems to have shaped all of the other WATCHMEN. In fact, the scariest WATCHMEN alive truly came from the most normal of upbringings. No bad “uncles” like in SILK SPECTRE and RORSCHACH. No, slaps across the face like NITE OWL and OZYMANDIAS. DR. MANHATTAN’S truly comic origin of molecular disassembly gave JMS freedom with this book to extinguish the often heard BEFORE WATCHMEN complaint of, “this tells me nothing new.”

Yes, JMS does travel to the past to teach us the lesson of Schrodinger’s Cat as we watch DR. MANHATTAN open a his 9th birthday present, each time changing the present like a roulette wheel until we reach the reality where he receives a clock that looks eerily similar to his Martian mode of transportation years later. But what if he received a baseball glove, a puppy, a kite? Was it the clock inside his Schrodinger’s Birthday present that spurred his love for universal dynamics and celestial mechanics? If he received the puppy would he have become a vet and never stepped into the chamber that spread his atoms across the cosmos? These are the things that DR. MANHATTAN pontificates between nanoseconds. These questions also serve as the ultimate driver for the plot in the next three issues. DR. MANHATTAN knows he can view the past at will, easily seeing the infinite inside the box, but the ultimate challenge becomes whether he can change it?

I won’t tell you the answer, because frankly I don’t know. While the issue does end on that fateful day when he was trapped inside the reactor, the final panel this time though has him grabbing his coat and leaving the reactor unscathed.

So did DR. MANHATTAN successfully change the past or are we peering at a possibility? I’m inclined to believe the latter, simply because of my limited perception of the universe. If DR. MANHATTAN was never created it would negate this current story and the entire WATCHMEN series. My usual piss poor prognosticating is leading me to believe this will ultimately be a story of destiny and its inescapable pull, but ironically only time will tell.

DR. MANHATTAN is another narrative heavy piece, but just like the choice to internalize OZYMANDIAS, I think the fewer dialog bubbles the better when focusing on beautiful minds. Besides DR. MANHATTAN’S dialog bubbles have never set the world on fire, he’s a much cooler character in concept than in interaction. His quite malaise towards existence when he does speak is sort of new age douchey…soothing but also patronizing. I say let him stay in his head – it’s a quietly scary place especially when finger crafted by JMS.

This is probably one of the first BEFORE WATCHMEN titles where I would say the writing outshines the art. Don’t get me wrong, Hughes does a more than serviceable job, especially when he is charged with the crafting the visages of JFK and LBJ. However, Bermejo and Conner have simply hit this series out of the park visually because of their distinct styles. I’ll give Hughes credit though for giving us the most accurate representation of the source material. It’s so spot-on one would think Dave Gibbons is in the driver’s seat.

I’m biased towards BEFORE WATCHMEN, I love series that deconstruct history and reset expectations based on our world being a very different place than it actually is. While DR. MANHATTAN won’t break through the barrier of BEFORE WATCHMEN hate, I will say emphatically that this is the first prequel that could appeal to people who never read the source material. What JMS has crafted is quite simply great Sci-Fi piece of infinite possibilities merely packed inside a BEFORE WATCHMEN box.

Optimous has successfully blackmailed fellow @$$Hole BottleImp into being his artist on Average Joe. Look for Imp's forced labor on Optimous brain child in mid-2012 from COM.X. Friend Optimous on FaceBook to get Average Joe updates and because ceiling cat says it's the right thing to do.

DAREDEVIL #17

It’s the second Daredevil issue this month, because apparently Marvel needs to keep its quota up or something. Mad man Michael Allred (oh did you see what I did there!) has stopped by to draw the issue, so how do you pass that up? For those of you who missed my dorkiness, Allred is famous in comicbook-dom for creating Madman, a mind bending bug nutz crazy book, but what else would you expect from the title Madman? I’ve always found his work to be very interesting, because on the one hand, he’s a great comic book artist. His panels are always clean, bold, and fun. On the other hand, he has a touch of outsider art to him. His anatomy and perspective always have a little skew to them. So his work really is unlike anybody else’s. His work on Daredevil has all those attributes, and fits nicely with the tone of the book set for by the other artists. Seeing his Daredevil in action is almost like seeing Wally Wood’s Daredevil. Not as perfect as Wally’s work, but just as dynamic and clean. I don’t think you can ever go wrong with Allred penciling a book.

What about Mark Waid’s script, you ask. Well as I’ve said before, I sometimes feel Mark is stretching himself too much on this book. Though he always manages to deliver, and sometimes he nails out a gem like issue #7. The tension he built in #7 was amazing! Well I’m happy to report he nearly repeats himself with this issue. And just like that one, this is a fill-in issue as well! It’s hard to believe most fill-in issues are junk- after you’ve read one like this. Waid’s story is a flash back tale, to another time when Matt (Daredevil) Murdock his law partner ‘Foggy’ Nelson were feuding. The success of this story is the final reveal at the end of the book. One that I didn’t think was going to be too important, until the reveal. Heck even re-reading this issue it was hard not to get misty about it. It’s a perfect example of how a writer with a good understanding of his characters, can get his readers to understand them as well, and then make an emotion pay off because of it. For fun, he tosses in a battle with Stilt-Man- yes, Stilt-Man! Here’s another thing about Waid, while Stilt-Man is one of the worst super-villain ideas of all time, he doesn’t treat him like a joke (like a crap load of other writers would do). Nor does he try to ‘upgrade’ him into some kind of new super serious bad@$$ (like another crap load of writer would do). Nope, he just lets Stilt-Man be Stilt-Man, warts and all. So yes, Stilt-Man is an idiots, but he’s also a super-villain who could kill you quite easily given the chance. So while I didn’t walk away with a brand new respect for Stilt-Man, I also didn’t walk away thinking he was a total dork, fit for only comic relief.

So you got Mark Waid doing his thing and you got Michael Allred doing his thing, plus Laura Allred laying down the colors (and Stephen Wacker and Ellie Pyle being smart enough to let them do it), and they did it all great! This issue scores a 4 out of 4.

THE WALKING DEAD #101

Fallout (And Heads Up, I’m Going To Spoil Last Issue In The Third Paragraph. You Have Been Warned).

So….THE WALKING DEAD….look. It’s hard not to just say this is one of the best comics of the past decade. And last month, it was very, very, very hard to not to lose control of myself and just write about how awesome this series is and has been. Hitting 100 issues is a real accomplishment in this industry, and to see a comic not starring a big name superhero do it just warms the cockles of my heart. Some of the my fellow @$$holes took it upon themselves to cover the joyous occasion, so I hung back to digest it all and cover the fallout. This issue pushes forward the intriguing Negan storyline, while also playing with the survivors in fun ways. It’s exactly what a 101st issue should be.

Writing: (4/5) As monumentally wonderful THE WALKING DEAD has been in its entire run, I’ll be the first to admit that the book has been somewhat lacking since the death of the Governor. Kirkman created an antagonist that made the army of undead seem like a second thought. Next to his cruelty and creativity, the hordes of zombies didn’t seem all that bad. Since his death at the conclusion of the prison arc (which may be the series finest moment), Rick and the other survivors haven’t found a human foe that rivaled him. Sure, the cannibals and the coup were interesting, but they were more of passing annoyances. Negan makes one proper appearance in the comic, and the fallout can still be felt in the next issue. The dread present in just knowing that Negan is out there, brandishing his bat and a manic smile… it gives the book a shot in the arm. His followers may crumble before the walls of the camp, but Negan is just around the corner. The look of sheer panic on Gregory’s face once he hears that Negan confronted Rick is beautifully telling.Part of what makes THE WALKING DEAD so engaging is just how unpredictable it can be. Outside of Rick and, to an extant Carl, no one is safe. No one becomes permanently static or safe, and this allows for a rotating cast of characters. This issue sees a possible departure of Maggie and Sophia, and it’s beautifully bittersweet. The new community is exactly what Maggie and Glenn were hoping for, but her arrival with Sophia is hindered greatly by Glenn’s untimely death. It’s a nice way to possibly send off the two characters; With a heavy heart, but a hopeful touch to it. Taking the place of the missing characters seems to be Jesus, which, at least to me, is just fine. Seriously, Jesus is pretty awesome.

Carl is my favorite character in the series to be honest, and it’s nice to see some emotion from him that isn’t just rage. The boy’s descent into darkness has only really been slowed by his dedication to his father and connection with Sophia. It’s a story beat I can’t wait to see Kirkman explore, to see Carl have to continue on without his confidant and friend.

The only thing that really hinders the issue is the occasional slow beat. It’s an incredibly uneven issue pacing wise. It quickly jumps from Maggie railing on Rick to a little beat of comedy, to a tense moment looking into the community, to heartfelt, to panicky, to relief. All of the moments are well done (save perhaps the little comic moment of the guards, which felt extremely out of place), but not explored as well as they could be. It removes a good deal of the tension, which is sort of the best thing about the comic.

Art: (5/5) Adlard is a wonderful choice for this series (as has been noted many times previously), and this issue could be used as a perfect example of why. The opening page alone displays a fantastic series of panels. A great sense of motion and passing time as Negan leaves in his truck. A corpse, partially hidden by a good sense of framing but revealing just enough gore to unsettle the reader. Ricks face, contorted beautifully while Maggie processes what’s just happened. He has an amazing ability to convey true emotion with these characters. As Maggie beats Rick, you get an honest sense of emotion from her. She sobs uncontrollably as she hits him, and it flows incredibly well. Likewise, one panel later in the comic is one of the most telling single panels I’ve ever seen. Rick tries to apologize to Maggie for what’s happened to Glen, and he just looks so tired. Rick has always had to be the strong one among his compatriots, but following what’s happened, Rick has the appearance of a broken man, finally struggling under the weight of all the dead friends. It just conveys so, so, so much about Rick.

Beyond the acting of the characters, the framing and look of the book is simply marvelous. Between Adlard's wonderful wide shots and Rathburn’s ability to make greys stand out against grey, the book looks amazing. Carl speaking to Sophia is great, bringing the reader close when it’s necessary but knowing exactly how to pull back. The wideshots throughout the issue do the same, consistently giving the book a solid sense of scope.

Best Moment: Jesus joining the cast permanently excites me endlessly.

Worst Moment: Eduardo spearing the zombie. It’s a little moment of levity that just feels completely out of place.

Overall: (4/5) One of the best comics of the past decade follows an exhilarating 100th issue with an incredibly solid issue.

GRIMM FAIRY TALES #76

And it continues. The DVD for MIRROR, MIRROR was released this month. The TV series GRIMM returned last week and ONCE UPON A TIME’s season 2 is a mere month away. Fairy tales continue their dominance of nearly every entertainment market, having become the new “vampires.”

But this is why GRIMM FAIRY TALE #76 is so refreshing. The book features no major fairy tale figure. In fact, it isn’t until halfway through the issue that anything magical occurs at all.

To catch up readers, Dr. Sela Mathers has been imprisoned in a high security facility after destroying a major city. Her actions are understandable. Sela had just found out that the evil goddess Venus was raising Sela’s daughter. The only thing worse than a woman scorned is a pissed off mother.

Deena Durbin, a recent law school graduate and Sela’s court appointed case worker, thinks that she has found enough discrepancies in the case in order to file an appeal. But to do so, Deena needs Sela to cooperate. Sela, though, has no desire to be set free and believes that she is not worth saving. However, it isn’t Sela who needs saving when an explosion bursts through the prison, throwing the facility into chaos.

As I mentioned before, this book is not your typical fairy tale. Even though the original stories of Grimm and such were dark, they did not feature characters such as Sela. She understands that her powers, when combined with her emotions, are dangerous. Already pushed to the edge once, Sela has no desire to put others at risk again. The reluctant hero is common in superhero lore of late, but not in the fairy tale genre. However, there is a nice nod to the idea of Sela as a hero of this sort when a little boy screams “soopa hero” after Sela clears the way for a group of civilians to escape.

Speaking of dialogue, the issue really hits its stride in the second half. The beginning is too expositional in regards to the conversation between Deena and Sela. In the latter voiceover, as Sela makes her way through the chaos, her backstory is given. Though the information is pure exposition as well, it is handled with more panache. The monologue is broken up between panels, creating a poetic pacing. This is the real voice of Sela, revealing a character more complex than that of the typical anti-hero.

The artwork is consistent with the writing as it doesn’t pop until halfway through. There is nothing wrong with Kyriazis’ drawings in the beginning. The panels are well-drawn, with a wonderful sense of depth, and featuring various angles. It is all well done, just not interesting. But once you get to that first full page action shot, the pages become full of brutality, stylization, and shifts between highly detailed work to the appropriate use of minimalism. Kyriazis’ art is at its strongest when the panels are varied and the reader is exposed to a range of his approaches.

I seem to be unlucky enough to have picked vampires and fairy tales as my obsessions, well before pop culture overdosed on them. Even I felt that I couldn’t handle one more reiteration of a fairy tale. However, despite the series it belongs to, Sela’s story does not have to be viewed as such. Hers is a tale of fantasy and need not be relegated to the realm of Snow White and Cinderella.

Lyzard is actually Lyz Reblin, a senior screenwriting major with an English minor at Chapman University. Along with writing for AICN, she has been published twice on the subject of vampire films.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #691

As AMAZING SPIDER-MAN reaches closer and closer to its fiftieth anniversary, I’m quite pleased that Slott will be writing the title. He’s been consistently enjoyable for his entire run of the series, with just a few missteps here and there. Unfortunately, AMSM #691 is one such trip up.

The conclusion of the Lizard storyline feels rushed and anticlimactic, sapping the story of the earlier intensity. The problems from last issue are solved too neatly(The scientists at Horizon have been turned into the Lizards! No, hold on. It’s okay, they just seem to enjoy lying around. But Carlie’s cornered! No, wait, it’s fine. She’s fine), and the central conflict is resolved without much fuss.

Even the art by Camuncoli and Pennino feels lacking. The claustrophobic and tight look of the past three issues is replaced instead with open environments and broader character beats. It’s disappointing, as the story had been firing on all cylinders until this point.

Rather, the issue feels more like an extended preview for upcoming events. Peters tour of his captured foes, the new development for the Lizard, and especially the promise of a much missed villain (the reveal at the end of the issue made me uncontrollably giddy). The issue just doesn’t flow properly, which gives the storyline a disappointing climax.

REVOLUTION AISLE 9

REVOLUTION AISLE 9 is as indie as one can get. Yes, the art is simplistic, sans the over production we find with a league of creators sitting in a bullpen waiting for work. Yes, the production is Spartan allowing for fast turnaround to keep churning out issues on a regular schedule and thus keep user interest rather than taking years to print just one book. And yes, it presents a story that you will never find in comics beleaguered by continuity or having to serve a corporate overlord. REVOLUTION AISLE 9 is pure imagination slathered in social commentary and a very cool Sci-Fi twist.

‘Welcome to Kent” is the series REVOLUTION AISLE 9 lives in, a webcomic that lives on the fringes of the “Twilight Zone” in concept. While my tolerance for webcomics is pretty low (not enough meat on the bone) I might have to change my mind after reading Back Row’s first foray into print.

One part historical fiction, one part societal indictment, all parts entertaining, AISLE 9 explores what would happen if a soldier in the American Revolution was one day whisked through time and landed smack dab in the middle of a mega Walmart (cleverly called Wow Mart to avoid a swarm of corporate lawyers).

Yes, it’s a concept that’s been done before, but let’s be frank with another: Encino Man blows donkeys and most other out-of-time ventures get too wrapped up in the Rom or Com of their Rom-Com nature.

AISLE 9 is essentially an indictment of modern America. And I agree 100% with the creators that Wal-Mart is America’s Waterloo. If we fall, it will be because of the pampering and mass consumerization embodied by Wal-Mart.

Sullivan gives us a wonderful intro by having our Greatest American Hero writing his lady love from the front lines of the American War for Independence. He writes of liberty, ideals and how the ultimate sacrifice would be gladly paid for the promise of freedom. We watch as this man fights in the wilderness, forages for survival and ultimately falls down a well while trying to escape a pack of damn dirty Redcoats.

But instead of death, our hero ends up in Aisle 9 of Wow-Mart. Right out of the gate Sullivan illustrates all that’s wrong with modern America with the first few passersby. A petulant child screams for more candy as his Mother berates him and bemoans his existence. A rather large woman laments that there are only XL sizes wondering if Wow-Mart is only catered to model sizes. Another woman an aisle over shares with the entire store her yeast issues from thongs. A man in a little rascal fat-person scooter yells at our hero for lying in the aisle asking how lazy can he be for just lying around. Finally a Mother tells her child that they can’t get a dessert with their happy meal because they need to save room for dinner at Burger Queen. Brand replacement aside, this is fucking insightful stuff. It takes the kind of people watching little of us do anymore in our perpetual WiFi heads down in device world.

The rest of the book is more amusing than insightful as our hero ends up taking over the store and cleverly uses the wide variety and massive amounts of shit in a Wal-Mart to thwart the local police that want to get him out.

We’ve lost something as a country, the desire to persevere and fight for what’s right…or fight for anything. Don’t get me wrong, I love my pampered lifestyle, but I sometimes wonder if life would be more fulfilling if I personally bought less and did more. What would it be like to stand behind a collective cause for the betterment of humanity, not just the fattening of my bank account? What would it be like to truly serve a needed purpose rather than struggle to eke out an existence based solely on money?

Yes, AISLE 9 made me think. Truly ponder who we are as a society and my place in it. When a comic can entertain to this level and still leave me thinking afterwards, cut corners on art or lack of coloring become trivial matters. Quite simply, with a little more detail given to the art, AISLE 9 is everything a comic should be.

GREEN LANTERN #12

I have quite the conflicting relationship going with GREEN LANTERN right now. I’m thrilled that they decided to continue Johns’ run through the relaunch, but the lack of commitment to a total overhaul of the DC universe often leaves me with a lingering disappointment after finishing each issue. While GREEN LANTERN might frustrate me as a part of a greater whole, the series on its own has been as much fun as anything else out there. Johns hasn’t quite delivered the rejuvenating feel he did with GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH, or reached the epic levels of a story like “The Sinestro Corps War,” but there’s an intuitive understanding of these characters that Johns turns into magic on a monthly basis, making his GL stuff hard to resist.

This issue continues the adventures of Sinestro and Hal as they take on an army of undead worthy of the October issue date. Meanwhile, the Black Hands obsesses over a confusing message written throughout The Book of the Black until it reveals to him a rather surprising omen, as the Guardians continue to discuss their plans for a third army. I was a tad disappointed to see the title veer back into Black Lantern territory again since BLACKEST NIGHT still seems so fresh, but Johns’ mastery of cinematic storytelling keeps things fast paced and exciting, giving me little reason to doubt him (yes, I’ve read JUSTICE LEAGUE, but that’s the exception to an otherwise impressive line of work). He’s not really my favorite writer out there, but you can do a lot worse on a superhero title than Geoff Johns. While he may not be the cerebral plotter that guys like Morrison or Hickman are, his stories have a sort of classic made new vibe to them that capture a lot of the grandiose spirit that drew me to comics in the first place.

Renato Guedes’ and Jim Calafiore’s stellar work, which feature neon green constructs crashing against a gray and ghostly backdrop through most of it, make this action packed, plot-twisting issue pretty easy on the eyes, too. I don’t know that I’ve ever really been moved to feel too strongly about their work one way or another, but the issue is consistently good, and I’m never disappointed to see one’s art in place of the other. Guedes work in particular impressed me, though, with a few panels showing a darkened, more mainstream Seth Fisher look that I really enjoyed, but both show a great talent for creating impressive scenes that complement the blockbuster feel of a Johns story perfectly.

Relaunch or continuity questions be damned, GREEN LANTERN has been a consistently good read for the past year, and among the best DC’s been putting out. It’s has never been my favorite book of the week, but it’s typically the least likely to disappoint, and with Johns’ ability to weave these things into classics and massive events at the drop of a hat, this issue’s kickoff to its “The Revenge of the Black Hand” arc might be a good point for you to jump on.

AvsX #10

Writers: Everyone Scripter: Ed Brubaker Art: Adam Kubert Publisher: Marvel Comics Reviewer: Masked Man,br> As we get even closer to the climactic battle with the Phoenix Force, let’s run down what happened in this issue, shall we? Page one, Cyclops tries to kill Hope. I’m not really sure why, considering that was never his plan, but maybe it’s the Phoenix Force corrupting him. Then again, Cyclops has been making questionable decisions all series, so why should this issue be different. Iron Fist quickly engages Cyclops so she can escape. I’ll pause here a moment and question the layout decision of these three pages. Page one, has a very cool near splash page of Cyclops floating above Iron Fist and Hope, showing us how powerful he is and how fad they are. Page two and three, have a near double splash of Cyclops floating above Iron Fist and Hope, showing us how powerful he is and how f’d they are. Was it really that important to show Cyclops floating above Iron Fist and Hope, showing us how powerful he is and how f’d they are that it took three pages? Did they really think the readers won’t be able understand that from just one full splash? And they didn’t think it would better if Adam had more than just a few postage stamp size panels to draw the Iron Fist / Cyclops fight in? Really? Moving along- Ironman jumps into the fight, pretty cool. Not sure why it needed an AR (Marvel Augmented Reality) it seemed pretty self explanatory to me. Maybe I’ll meet someone who actually uses it, and they can tell me how cool it is one day.

Meanwhile in Russia, Prof. X confesses that he screwed up. Something he hinted at four issues back, so it’s good to see him doing something about it now. Back in Utopia, where everything isn’t, Emma Frost is laying down her Phoenix Force corrupted will. I like that we can actually tell she is being corrupted. Unlike Cyclops, who hasn’t changed his tune since issue #1: The Phoenix Force is here to save mutant kind. How or why he believes that has yet too explained though. Magneto is starting to think he’s made a mistake too (something I’m sure any reader could have told him back in issue #6).

Back in K’un Lun, Cyclops is whooping up on Avengers while looking for Hope. Hope has fled to Lei Kung for help and the two attack Cyclops with a dragon. True to the ancient myth, it does pretty well against the Phoenix Force. I’ll pause here to mention the page layouts again; Pretty damn nice! Now we finally see the Phoenix Force starting to corrupt Cyclops, as he wanted to kill the dragon for hurting him (not that big of a stretch since they were fighting, but still). Hope then saves the dragon by somehow absorbing its special powers and blasting Cyclops with it- And then runs away. I have no idea why she runs away, she just does. Cyclops, of course, chases after her. The Scarlet Witch, in an attempt to help Hope, finally fails to defeat Cyclops (I guess they finally decided they didn’t need their ‘get out of plot jail free’ card anymore). Hope then steps up to the plate again and really lets Cyclops have it. I’m guessing Hope is now becoming what was pretty obvious to everyone, but Cyclops, at the beginning- Hope is Earth’s one hope against the Phoenix Force. Oh, and another great job by Adam Kubert here too. Cyclops then decides he needs a power boost and goes after Emma, since defeating her will give him all of the Phoenix Force. To be continued…

So that’s issue 10, not much improvement for those who wanted it, and reasonable comic book thrills for those who didn’t want improvement. Remember when Stan Lee had the X-men fight the Avengers in X-MEN #9, that was cool.

He references it in an issue of Amazing Spidey with Doc strange, and in that squadron supreme book he did. Those are just off the top of my head. I'm sure the book is good, haven't bought it yet, but "brilliantly" might be a stretch since he overuses it.

I'm really hoping for something new and exciting in this book, because right now this arc feels exactly like the Prison and Fear the Hunted or whatever it was called. It feels like same old, same old. If it turns out the same as usual, I'm out. If the "big twist" is the death of Andrea (oh, poor Rick), or (gasp!) the death of Rick... I'm out. Personally, I hope all the settlements get burned down, because it's a shit story setting, but whatever... I hope there's a new twist around the corner, because this book is starting to go belly up for me.

The Phoenix corrupting Scott and Emma is cool, but... it still just makes me wonder: Why the fuck did Scott think that this time the Phoenix would be good? I mean, it's history shows that it's an idiot idea and the fact that the Phoenix is now corrupting him shows that it was an idiot idea. I don't get it.
I am glad that some of the X-men are finally defecting, because... WTF?
I'm not into this whole thing. It's too narritvely precarious.
That being said, I am excited for the MArvel Now stuff. Good creator teams, so interesting titles. It looks fun.

.....but couldn't you guys do something more interesting...... like a video review .......or a PODCAST??!?
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Just joking guys. I kid because I love. Actually that's not true ....I kid because I'm an asshole and like to amuse myself....... but still.
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Totally agree about the Dr. MANHATTAN comic. Perfect example of how so much more can be said and done with these characters. no matter what the Cult of Alan Moore thinks.

At least they addressed the most important problem I had with all this.......Negan isnt scary. Hes a gang leader of a bunch of jabroni redshirts with baseball bats and crowbars. Unless Negan gets them out in the open, which he did due to Ricks dumbassery, he cant do shit. They have guns. He has baseball bats. Game over. He has attacked the settlement twice, and twice gotten his ass handed to him.

This relationship certainly makes a lot of sense in "reality" even if you ignore the whole Man of Steel, Women of Kleenex issue and DC has toyed with it off and on over the years. Still, I'm curious how well it can sustain interest in the month in month out context of a comic book.
I for one can live w/o Lois Lane as the default love interest for a while. And they've never come up with a good love interest for WW partly because any normal guy just doesn't seem very manly around her.

"Shrodingers' Cart" does NOT DESCRIBE REALITY. It explains our limited abilities to COMPREHEND reality at it's most fundamental levels, let alone in it's fullness and scope.
Basically, Ss' C is the same as the supposed mind-blower of my generation - the sickeningly trite "If a tree falls in the forest and no one's around to hear it, does it still make a sound ?"
OF FUCKING COURSE it makes a fucking sound. How fucking arrogant does a person have to be to even consider the possibility that nothing happens unless they themselves witness it ? That way lies only madness, madness and religion, my friend. "Since you didn't actually SEE your parents fucking when you were conceived, you therefore can not exist" was the replying argument I'd use on the idiot philosopher-wannabes and pseudo-zen stoners who tried to argue for the falling tree not making a sound.
Ya can't blame that kind of stupidity on just drugs, folks - Far too many stone-cold sober religious fanatics use the same "logic" to rationalize their ridiculous fantasies.
Want some more ? This morning I cracked open an egg that had THREE yolks in it. Using the infallible doctrines of religious logic, this is incontestable proof that Paul Ryan is the antichrist. You heard it here first. Vote accordingly.

They're happy with harpies like Lois Lane and wimps like Steve Trevor. They know all their faults and still love them.
It's like Geoff Johns and the powers at be can't stand to have characters that are that selfless and caring. Essentially they don't like heroic qualities because they are harder to write and they are lazy.
So, add in some easy breezy Marvel soap opera character flaws and they're just happy as pie.
It's so dumb that they want to be 90s Marvel crossed with Wildstorm and Leifelds 90s Extreme line.

...they had portrayed Cyclops as knowing the Phoenix force was dangerous, but feeling it was the only thing that would save mutants from becoming extinct.
Unfortunately, an uncertain, desperate Cyclops wouldn't be someone all the mutants could get behind.
Maybe if they tied the Phoenix force and Hope together better, it would've worked better.
But I agree, some of the Marvel NOW titles look fun. While it's a good starting point, it's also a good stopping point as well.

Steve Trevor - really? At least Lois Lane is an iconic character representing spunky girl power or obnoxiousness pushiness depending on your own outlook. Steve though is just some random military guy who'd probably be rightfully awesome around anyone but Earth's mightiest woman.
I always thought the best option for WW would be a guy who's a braniac like Reed Richards (DC just doesn't have a good Reed equivalent do they?).
Still, the WW/Supes relationship makes sense to me from the realism perspective. If I were Supes, that's who I'd be looking to score with.

I'm sure you could still go off and join the peace corps and fight poverty in Africa or join the military and fight terrorists in Afghanistan. Even in our world of Walmart, there's plenty of opportunity to find deeper meaning if you actually want it. You just have to sacrifice all that comfort to get it.
I haven't read this book, but from what I know of the Revolution, if a soldier from that time actually found himself in a Walmart, he'd be pleased as punch to find lots of food and warm clothing at low, low prices.

Yeah I mean if I was Superman I'd parlay that into lots of stuff but that's the thing. He doesn't cause he's a good guy and a hero. He's selfless and forgives and sees the good in people.
It's a lot like Captain America way back when he decided to make Scarlett Witch, Quick Silver, and Hawkeye Avengers even though they were all recently villains.
I don't mind realism in comics and I certainly realize the silliness in them. But I at the same time can't help but think it's better to appeal to higher ideals in some situations than simply going with the sad, bitterness of reality where the average people in life are left behind while the exceptional go be exceptional together.
It's like environmental scientists. They probably believe in evolution but they always want to save dying species. They should probably let evolution do it's thing and weed out the weak strains but instead they try to save it.

Where is this happening? Justice League? Superman? It's not happening in Wonder Woman, so I can only guess it is in one of the 5-years-ago books and they are broken up by now... but I am curious.
Joe... Which Marvel Now titles seem interesting, because I am not enthused with what I've heard so far...
Question about Bermejo: While his work on Rorschach is very good, it looks very similar to Dave Gibbons to me. As I've mentioned, the Rorshach book is the one the haters should use to "prove" that there is nothing new to say about the characters, because that is the one book that really has nothing new to say.
Joe Again... I already bailed on Walking Dead about two graphic novels ago, but the death of Rick is probably the only thing that would get me back on this title.
And if the last good arc was the Governor, that is seriously running on fumes. But I actually quite liked the cannibals... that was a good story.

Kinda like that first issue of Minute Men
Oh and Supes and Wonder are making out in Justice League.
I got no clue on the time line it is at. But you brought up a good point.
I pressing my like button that doesn't exist.

Let's think about this...
The events in WATCHMEN were the most epic moments of these people's lives.
BEFORE WATCHMEN is the equivalent of seeing Picard take a shit on the Enterprise.
This is an exploration of a quieter time in their lives. Not quiet... quieter. Different.
And before anyone asks who wants to see someone take a shit - I for one do. I truly wonder what a bathroom looks like in the 24th century and how one actually uses the 3 shells instead of toilet paper.
Before Watchmen never promised anything new, simply more time with characters some of us love.

I'm going to just hope you're an Atheist also, and not potentially spoil it by asking. It's nice when someone else does the rebuttal work.
Re: meaning in life - There are corporations destroying countries, people being murdered for being different in some way, and the planet you're standing on is dying.
Education is a weapon. Pick one up, get in the fight and start shooting.

Actually, Schrodinger's Cat has something to do with quantum entanglement and has been used in many iterations since first proposed to explain different aspects of quantum theory. It is probably more value as a touchstone/jumping off point for other theories than as a theory itself. In fact, I think Schrodinger was actually himself using the concept of such an experiment to question how far certain quantum principles can or should be taken. He certainly didn't believe himself that the cat actually existed in two states. (I'm no physicist--that's about as far as I can go.)
Having said that, comparing Schrodinger's cat to the "if a tree falls" question is too reductive, as is dismissing that question as sickeningly trite. While the question is too often, and too simply, used to forward the notion that perception is reality (which incidentally IS a question still worthy of consideration), it's perhaps more interestingly applied to notions of language and reality, specifically the idea that language precedes reality. In that paradigm, even though there is a physical phenomenon whereby sound waves are generated, if no one is there to hear it and call it--to name it--a "sound," then it is not a sound. By the same token, if someone is there to hear it but has no language ability whatsoever and cannot identify it as a "sound," then it is still not a sound.
Of course some will just tap a rock and say, "See? it exists, we're through," but many find this sort of inquiry really interesting and are not just engaging in trite semantics. Perception, language, reality? Isn't this interesting?

I think the Avengers Academy second chapter came out last week, and it was really good and intense, not ridiculous. Even though I am middle aged, I find the characters and actions in this book to be much more believable than in most other, especially Marvel, comics.
I loved Batwoman, but maybe it's because I was afraid issue 11 was the last one, but now a new storyline started and even has the original artist back on board, so that was a big plus.
And Catwoman wrapped up the current storyline with a surprising and effective death.
So those were some of my favorites.

I know it might hurt but it'll only hurt from all the laughing.
Seriously...how'd that guy convince everyone that Black Swan was good. Then again there was 2 other writers, face stabbing and girl on girl. (Puts on magician outfit) It's miss direction!

Supposedly, this is the new status quo and will have a lasting impact and yada, yada, the things the companies always say about these events.
I'm sure that he'll be back with Lois in a few years just like Peter Parker will be back with MJ, eventually. I do like that they're doing something different, not sure it's the right choice but it is at least real change as opposed to getting rid of the red underwear (which I'd actually like back).

...and it has gone on way too long. If they wanted to have members from both teams acting out of character leading to conflicts and a new status quo (like almost every other marvel event of the past 10+ years), they still could have wrapped it up in a lot fewer issues.
Waiting on Marvel Now. No longer bothering to read AvX.
I have not read ASM yet, but the lizard arc has (in my opinion) been one of Slott's weakest so far. I've really liked his work on the title, but these last few issues have left me cold. Glad to hear that storyline is getting wrapped up, even if it's in a dissatisfying fashion.
Hate Allred's art, although it does seem to fit Daredevil, and I can stomach it for a single fill-in. It is, however, the reason I'm not getting Marvel Now's FF reboot. Such a pity that the one series featuring the original She-Hulk has an artist whose style drives me bonkers. Oh well.

Honestly it's not a big deal. Even if you feel you're right and superior then you should be right and superior and therefore kinder to the perceived idiots beneath you. Kinda like how a genuinely superior person would be. They wouldn't immediately play to the worst parts of the human personality.
I say that as someone who doesn't enjoy JMS and that includes the stuff people tend to like from him. His style doesn't fit me. He's welcome to it and so are his fans.
Oh and defo on the cats. Even the cute kittens. They're reality rascals!

Spiderman's worst recurring villain. I'd rather see the Shocker. This alone kept me from seeing the Spidey movie till last week. Had to endure the (non-comic book fan) wife snikering when she saw the Lizard and yet more snickering over his villainous plan.

Seriously how does he get around in his outfit without immediately being spotted? It's not like he's gonna all of a sudden just toss it on. Where would he hide the horn?
He's not gonna sneak in anywhere. Also his face is like in a Rhino mouth.
I say this as a fan of The Rhino. Mostly cause he's so lame and silly he's endearing.

I didn't mean from a threat level. Obviously, the Lizard is fairly powerful, but he's incredibly uninteresting.
The Rhino is entertaining and he can be used in any situation calling for a dim but somewhat likeable bad guy. He's had a number of at least entertaining arcs (I especially like the Flowers for Algernon riff where he becomes a super genius).
The Lizard is one note. Connors turns into the Lizard, tries to pollute the water supply, Spiderman gives him the cure, reset till it's time to do again. (I realize they've tried to mix this up a bit lately but from what I've seen that was just worse - like where the Lizard kills his kid).

You're right, if they had had Cyclops even acknowledge how dangerous/crazy the plan was, I would have been more on board, or explan just what led him to the conclusion in the first place.
"But I agree, some of the Marvel NOW titles look fun. While it's a good starting point, it's also a good stopping point as well."
That's what I like. No official and problematic rebooting, just a natural place to draw a bit of line and then just go one from, on age to the next.

But probably for the brains you'd have to choose Constantine, Will Magnus, and maybe Batman?
To be honest. I like that DC doesn't have like Brain Trust, Brawn Trust, and stuff like that. It really doesn't even have a magic trust.
We don't have to make DC exactly like Marvel.

Superman and Wonder Woman are hooking up in the next Justice LEague apparently, prepare yourself for the fanboy flip-outs...
As for Marvel Now, I'm a Hickman fan. I loved his Ultimates, so I'm excited for his Avengers and I really like Immomen's (?) art and it's Bendis, plus the idea of the first five X-men coming forward really intrigues me, so I'll check that out. Those are the two I'm really looking forward too.
As for the death of Rick... whatever. I mean, what would it mean? How could it matter? It's not like he's going to die saving everybody and then they're safe forever, and so... if it can't matter because that's the world the characters inhabit... where's the drama? The book has been slow before ad it's treaded water before, but it's come back each time. I'm looking forward to it doing that again. I just hope it does it soon, because I'm losing interest

Conceptualization does not equal manifested existence. No matter how desperately religious proponents and philosophers will try to convince you.
Leave that non-sense aside and get down to real questions of science, like where the purr from my kitty comes from.

..about quantum entanglement? i always thought it was about the light wave/particle duality or the electron being "everywhere" in the atomic cloud until the moment you measure it, whereby you cause "wavefunction collapse" and reality is thus "rendered". or someshit. maybe that's the same thing as entanglement? off to wiki i go, yet a-bloody-gain.

Like Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Iceman and Jean Grey? I ask because that sounds very boring and also, Jean Grey is dead. So which five X Men? Is it them?
Uncanny Avengers? What is the point? They have had lots of X Men in the Avengers, so I can't get too interested.
While Superman and Wonder Woman as a couple has been great in some alternative-reality stories, I wonder how it will work in continuity? In JLA I am sure it will be just fine.
But Wonder Woman is possibly my #1 favorite comic right now. (well, no that isn't true but it's a top five. Avengers Academy is my favorite) and a Superman romance would really muck up what is an awesome storyline and character development so I hope it stays out of her book... but I doubt it will, since it offers crossover sales opportunities.

My internal calm down switch hit around lunch time on this.
I still think it's dumb and cheapens the characters but hey Azzarello might give us a good Superman in a Wonder Woman book.
It's win for all of us.

I looked for a 'Sarcmark' when the reviewer praised such pithy and revelatory caricatures as 'fat person on rascal being hypocrite', 'fat mom feeding fat kids fast food', 'fat kid screaming for candy', and 'fat woman complaining about lack of fat enough clothes', but if it was there, I missed it.
Those habitually misanthropic memes are 'fucking insightful'? In what world? Who is really seeing deep meanings in the latest 'People of Walmart' chain email?
I'm pretty sure the word you were looking for isn't 'insightful', it's puerile. You're welcome.

It's the first five students: Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Jean, and Iceman and they come forward from the past to see who they are now and how the world is now and how far it is from the idealist dreams they used to have and apparently decide to stay and try to make a difference. And it's not a mini-series. I like the idea, because it's a big wrench in the world and there's a lot of possibilities there. Anyway, I'm excited. Bendis and Immomen.
As for Uncanny Avengers, apparently it's in response to A vs X, I guess. A shared team to kind of bridge the mutant/superhero world. I'm not so hot on it, because Remender isn't one of my favorites, but I do like John Cassidy, so I'll at least check it out.
I notice no griping about Hickman's Avengers because it is obviously going to be awesome!
What's DC continuity? Do they have that?
WW is a great comic. It's on the top of my pile each month.

I guess it's Hickman's Avengers for me.
Maybe FF if She Hulk is on the team, but I find the Richards family uninteresting.
But I don't like Remender on anything. I know he is popular and I've read several of his books, but I didn't like any of them, and they all bored me.
So the first five travel through time... so right there I'm out because I don't like time travel.
Dang, I think I'm going from predominantly Marvel to predominantly DC. When I think of my favorite books, right now its mostly all DC.
Of course Avengers Academy is my favorite. I was loving Uncanny and Wolverine, but not so much during AvsX. I buy a few more, but none of them are that great. Captain Marvel is off to a good start.
OTOH, DC has Wonder Woman, Batwoman, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Suicide Squad, and more but those are my favorites.

I don't think She-Hulk is on the team, but I'm sure I'll stick with it, as Fraction is taking over Fantastic Four and that doesn't sound like a good fit to me.
As for The All New X-emn. There's some of Immomen's art over at Newsarama, go take a look and then try to say that you won't at least check out the first issue. Looks awesome.
I also like Captain MArvel and I'm sticking with the Ultimate titles. Same with Batman and Wonder Woman.
Also, didn't you read Hickman's Fantastic Four and FF. If not... Boo. Hear me. Boo on you

Wow I forgot that book existed. I did. It it for 75 issues then gave up. And joe I know hockmans stuff is all that but Ben Grimm is lame and the others are ok but I have really just never ever liked FF and definitely not enough to pay for it

Well, saying Schrodinger's Cat has something to do with it is about all I can say. I don't think the "experiment" was initially about quantum entanglement; rather, over the years has been used to examine or explain certain aspects of quantum theory, entanglement being one of them. Also, I think the condition you describe is actually a characteristic of entanglement. I am NO expert, obviously. I just found one of the early posts about Schrodinger's Cat to be way too simple and dismissive, even for my limited level of knowledge. My apologies if anyone finds the topic unfit for this board. I would actually think that anything do to with science or physics would be hugely interesting to anyone who digs comics.
I actually find the theoretical relationship between language and reality more interesting, and I do know a bit more about that. And again, if you like comics and SF and movies, how is that not cool?

The proof is all around us. We would know nothing of the universe if the stars hadn't already come into being. Did they simply form millions/billions of years ago simply because we observed them today? Does the act of observervation not simply change the outcome in the instant (as many erroneously believe with Schroedinger's Cat thought experiment) but reach back billions of years to produce the results we observe?
If so, what does this say about the Butterfly Effect? Could the mere observation of a phenomenon blink us out of existance? In such a case we wouldn't have been around to make the observation... O_o

It was getting way to crazy there for a bit.
Pink was getting ready to fight the power.
Blanket statements had been made.
Autodidact wanted to kill The Watchmen before Watchmen...which is some crazy quantum theory.
No offense meant.
Also I agree about the language and reality thing. Much more interesting and funny since everyone always wants to break out the dictionary now on everything. It's like Websters has become their god.

First you point out how great Miracleman was and now you reference the Elementals.
I really loved the first few arcs of that book, then I think Willingham went temporarily insane or something and the book fell apart.
He's been incredibly consistent on Fables though so revisiting the Elementals would really be cool.

The problem with DC not having a big time good guy super scientist is we keep having Lex Luthor as the government's go to scientist and frankly they ought to have learned their lesson by now (even in the reboot, they should have learned their lesson).
Meanwhile on the team books, Batman gets turned into a super scientist and given that he's usually the master strategist, he winds up way too omniscient.
I don't know that they need a brain trust but somebody in the Reed/Tony Stark league would make sense.

Until he stops losing emails, he can just print them out and cram them straight up his preferred thwip-hole! Angry words!! Exclamation marks!!!
I want to be excited about the All Old X-Men because I have some good memories reading them as a kid, but every time I look at the rack for a spot to jump in, it's a convoluted sea of Who the Hell Cares. And the initial pitch for Totally Wicked Extreme X-Men Sponsored By Mountain Dew was a non-starter (Running wild? Pushing all the buttons? Really?)
AvX looks like watching my brother gather his Transformers together, inviting his friend to bring over his G.I. Joes, and then pretend fighting all day. In other words, a boring fantasy-fight wank fest. I couldn't care less. But to Marvel's credit, apparently a lot of people do.
Sigh. I'll try the new series and see where it goes. If it contains something of more substance than the gimmick of the moment, I'll even try issue 2.

I forgot that Remender was one of the writers of that cross-over. It was my first exposure to Alejandra the girl ghost rider with breasts.
What's funny is no one wondered why Johnny Storm Ghost Rider had muscles in skeletal form, so what's the diff?
I quite liked that cross-over. Was it the BE ALL AND END ALL? No, maybe that was why I liked it. Plus, I loooooove X-23, a character I would never have read if a friend hadn't given me the first 6 issues for free.

FF doesn't have the Richards family... it's apparently Ant Man + She-Hulk + Medusa + some ex-GF of Johnny's wearing a Thing exoskeleton.
If it was drawn by someone other than Allred, I'd actually probably get it.

Seriously sometimes it's way too much stuff in the comic shop.
Elementals was a great find. It was a trade paperback that had the first appearance in a Justice something or other annual and then the first 5 issues.
Seriously, why is this forgotten? It should treated be a lot like Miracle Man in the way that it was so far ahead of it's time and the fact that it's just a flat out great piece of work. Also, Willingham draws like a beast on it. I love the way you can read it and see into the future...Shadowpact!
I never got to read many of the issues. I still look for them in back bins though.

See, now that's my problem. Red Son actually had the same premise where Lex Luthor is the real hero. I have a hard time believing that though, evil people aren't made evil because of the existence of someone like Superman. Lex Luthor's evil and if Superman didn't exist he would enslave the world for his own ends and it would only be a "paradise" in the most Orwellian sense.
BTW - Mr Terrific could be the DC Reed but he doesn't get enough build up and he needs to get a new outfit.

It was excellent at first, but it carried the Elementals separation from humanity too far to the point that the characters became unrelatable, particularly Morningstar.
I really did like Willingham's version of Thor though, who became a bit of a supporting character. Much different from any other interpretation.

Prior to The New 52, it was Mr. Terrific, Batman, the Atom, Doc Magnus, The Professor (doom patrol) and Steel. At least that was the go-to group when McDuffie had them put Red Tornado back together again. These days, who knows?

Howdy folks
As I was reading your review about BW, there was a paranthesis declaring that SCHROEDINGER means animal necrophilia in german language.
Whoever told you that?
Schroedinger means just that : Schroedinger, a name - nothing more. Perhaps there is a old village, or a little forest or an old manual craft from the middle ages connected to that name (etymology isn't my interest, check it yourself) but it 100% doesn't mean that what you wrote.

To be honest I saw the sex special on amazon and was like am I sure I want to keep reading a series where a green girl is getting banged by a dolphin and it's on the cover.
It was an odd moment in life for me. I decided it was ok cause I could leave it out. I assumed dolphin sex was not crucial to the plot.
Also, to think way back when you had to pick up a comic book to get what was easily available on the internet now. I was surrounded by weird people in college.

I read the first trade and now see the second is out and the series complete. Has anyone read the full thing? I thought the first half was good, not as great as some made it out, but still good. I wanted to know if the rest was worthwhile.

The elementals got me thinking about other series I'd like to see come back.
1. Justice Machine - this was by the same company that did Elementals and for a while it was also really good. It was about an Avengers like team except they're in service to a fascist police state. They finally start to realize that they're really the bad guys.
2. Miracleman - said it before, can't Marvel pay Gaiman to finish off the arc he started many years ago.
3. Dynamo 5 - this is much more recent but it's bumming me out that this series isn't still going on.
4. Freshman - another team book about college kids. Kinda of snarky but pretty entertaining.
5. Marshall Law - this series in an apocalyptic future where superheroes have been made to act as soldiers kind of degenerated into a bad version of the Boys, but the original run is a lot like Elephantmen.

Liefeld's leaving DC, and while I'd like to loudly guffaw about his firing, it seems he's the one quitting, and his complaints sound EXACTLY like those of the other creators who've left... Massive editorial interference and rewrites, significant last-minute changes to story, and arbitrary mandates out the wazoo.
Except for Wonder Woman and Batman and Robin, I'm not sure I'm even following the new 52 at all. I'll hang out for Marvel Now, because Marvel has all the best writers and artists. Period. That's it.
Even Morrison's leaving DC, and somehow Action Comics has turned into a baffling, obtuse snore. Who do they have left? Scott Snyder?
You know what Scott Snyder's good at? Mythology building. You know what he's bad at? Most everything else.

My sense of humor is second to none, even greater than that is my humility, so there!
So it was meant as a joke - darn, you should have put a smiley next to that sentence as nothing there even HINTED at humor - it simply fell flat whatever you tried.
But then, philosophy isn't your strength either - have you tried working in the comic business? Both are not required for that line of work....

And I'll tell you before watching the Holy Grail, not everything is historically accurate - and they don't follow every joke by looking at the camera winking and asking, "Did you get it?"
You tried to look Internet smart and no one cared because they got the joke.
I have my first graphic novel coming out next year, please don't buy a copy.

Yesterday saw the releas of the final issue of VooDoo.
To my surprise, when I purchased all 52 first issues of the New DC, VooDoo was an early favorite. When the writer was changed and editorial mandated a new direction, the "specialness" of the book declined somewhat, but the book remained interesting, exciting and a bit edgy. One reason I like less prominent characters is because anything really can happen.
I had previously hated VooDoo. Although Catwoman and Starfire have generated the most controversy, pre-reboot VooDoo was basically just a slut.
So I loved the new book and the new character. But when the Priscilla and VooDoo were revealed to literally be two different people, I was iffy.
The conclusion to her story is satisfying, but epitomizes the problem. The fresh, unusual and interesting VooDoo has a great final scene, but her story seems to be over. Priscilla, who basically seems to be the pre-reboot eye-candy/arm candy/lamestress will continue to be seen in Grifter.
Which is ok because I would never read Grifter anyway, but I am disappointed that I can no longer read about VooDoo, a character I really enjoyed.

It got caught in the Redhood and Catwoman backlash.
It was ridiculous and childish. A bunch of internet pundits trying to seem all high minded. Instead of attacking something worth genuinely attacking like Garth Ennis 50 plus issues of rape in The Boys or whatever Alan Moore is raping next they attacked 2 stupid comics and 1 good one.
I vote we add Voodoo to Hedgehog000's list of comics that need to come back.
We can start our own comic company.

Issue 10 was horrible.
More of the same, and now even the Witch isn't capable of doing anything of value. Great job there Marvel! Make her godly, and now just as useless as the other God™ you've ruined with this ass-wipe of a series (I'm speaking of THOR who is now nothing but a whipping boy).
Marvel NOW? Marvel: NO.
No more. Until the creative heads-in-charge are shown the door (Quesada) for this non-stop series of lack-luster "events", you can keep your NOW 52, cool creative teams and all because it reeks of a cash-grab while holding onto the one thing that ticked off DC fans with the New 52: Continuity.
On the upside, I've discovered a great world of reads in the Ultimates universe.
So in closing, AvX is the brainchild of the brainless, there is nothing within it of value, Joe Quesada is a fat-neck twit, and Ultimates is pretty darn good.

Sadly my tastes in comics (except for Spiderman) doesn't seem commercial enough.
Speaking of Moore and books I wouldn't mind seeing again, I liked Top 10 and I don't think there was any rape in it (I could be wrong - it didn't stand out much if there was).

I am a super long time fan, 35 years reading comics, but my tastes are like the anti-success.
JLA and AvsX. Yuck, not good. Not even good in a trashy fun way. Huge sellers.
VooDoo, Resurrection Man... favorites of mine, both cancelled and stories ended yesterday. I keep waiting for the axe to fall on Batwoman, cause I love that comic too.
At least I enjoy Before Watchmen, so that's one big seller I like.

There is something crazy going on over there, that's for sure, especially because everybody is quitting for the same stated reasons. Interesting. I wonder what the future holds. The New 52 was unstoppable sales-wise, but a ridiculous mess editorial-wise... which was shocking, in and of itself, but add all the folks jumping ship, I wonder what the company will respond with.
The true tragedy of DC tanking, New 52 folding, dramatci reshuffling, whatever, would be if Azzarello's Wonder woman or Snyder's Batman got fucked up because of all the crap going on.

...and that's coming from a X-Men/Avengers fanboy who had really low expectations.
I skipped Fear Itself and Siege, so I'm not even suffering from a bad case of "event-fatigue"...
It could have made sense. The character's motivations could have been explainable. They could have made the shift in who the reader was rooting for make sense, and feel organic.... But they didn't. They fucked it up.
I'm looking forward to Marvel Now, but that doesn't mean I have much faith in the company pulling it off.

...is that it would have taken a minimal amount of thought. Like a joint and two cups of coffee worth of fuckin' thought to put something together that made sense.
Instead we got a total clusterfuck.
A "LOOK HERE, LET US SLAP YOU IN THE FACE WITH AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT IS WRONG WITH COMICS" clusterfuck.
Fucking assholes. At least they didn't drag X-Force and X-Factor into it.

I'm not "boycotting" per-se, I'm simply not enthused about, nor am I likely to support Marvel NOW, especially considering a few of the titles JUST relaunched last year and that the creative decisions are souring me to say the least.
Fear Itself held some promise, and then it went out with a sad little whimper.
AvX is following the same pattern. Our heroes get their asses kicked for 7 or 8 issues, and the payback is a panel at best. I'm sorry, but I don't mind the good guys getting it handed to them as long as it:
A. Makes sense
B. We get retribution equal to, or greater than the punishment we suffered.
Ultimates is all back issues for me, unless you count the Miles Morales Spider-Man run currently underway and then yes, I'm supporting Marvel "now". (Sara Pichelli's art is too awesome to pass up on)

I started with Spider-Men, the mini series and was floored by how much I enjoyed the Miles Morales angle. Plus Pichelli's art is incredible.
I read The Death of Peter Parker, The Fallout series, and am now reading the Prelude to the Death issues. I've not been this moved by a comic in YEARS. And backtracking is a very sad thing when you know the character eventually lays down his life.
I was going to start with Ultimate Spiderman from the first issue, but Bagley's early art on that book is awful, especially when great's like Immonen eventually get a crack at it and then Pichelli.
But I may dive in and go whole-hog on it.
I've also started reading Ultimate Fantastic Four from the start and will at some point read The Ultimates and Ultimate Avengers.

Well,well, well
Who is acting like a sissy now?
I have memorized my Python when you were still shitting your pants...I do get a joke WHEN I SEE one.
And I was too trying to make a joke with my last comment - guess who didn't get it?
But I am willing to admit that MY joke was perhaps not so terribly funny, even if I tried to make fun of myself.
And I DID know that you are a comicbook "writer" - it states so in the
p!$$-(sorry, post!)-scriptum after your review - I should have made a smiley to help you get it, hm?
Guess what? I was never going to buy your book anyway - but now I even feel good about this!!!!

Nothing in your comments allude to humor, merely the cries of a man seeking attention in the sub section of articles.
You don't find me funny, I don't find you funny.
I bid you a good day sir and hope some of the other reviewers are more your erudite cup of tea.

Yes, Spider-men is great.
You should tough out the Bagley art, though and start at the beginning, because Ultimate Spider-man was (and still is) one of the best and most consistant classic superheroes books out there. For ten plus years! Really, really good. It's worth the effort. Think of it like cheap beer, after the first couple, you don't notice the taste anymore.

It's had it's ups and downs. Like I said, Spider-man is great. Buy it, read it, love it.
The first couple of years of Ultimate Fantastic Four are fun and sometimes great. Once you hit the diablo story, feel free to stop reading.
Same with Ultimate X-men, it starts okay and then...pppphhhhhhbbbbtttttt... it "X-mens out" in the bad way. Kirkman's stuff was terrible. Now, Brian Wood's run is turning kind of fun.
Ultimates? The first two volumes were amazing. The third (Loeb) is shit. The fourth is... meh. Then Hickman comes along and blows the doors off shit.
Ultimate Galactus is kind of fun. Ultmiate Doom is awesome and sets up Hickman's Ultimates.
NEVER read Ultimatum. Just don't. If you do, you'll wish you hadn't.

No doubt about that, Diana Rigg and Jackie Bisset have always been amazing, and nowadays, among others, David Beckham and Ewan MacGregor.
But their comedy? Not funny... none of it, not even the British Office.

was the one where all the sidekicks are basically used and abused. It basically was everything that Werthem guy claimed comics were. I think the Boys owe a huge debt to it.
My memory of Top 10 was that it was about a city where all the superheroes were stuffed to keep them away from the rest of us. I don't remember a lot of perversion but maybe I just blocked that part out.